a. Field of the Invention
The instant invention relates to a medical device for the treatment and prevention of eye and respiratory tract conditions. In one embodiment, the medical device may be portable.
b. Background Art
Many conditions of the eyes and respiratory tract may be offered relief by introducing treatment over extended time. These conditions include: dry eyes, environmental irritants, allergies from the environment, and various drug treatments best delivered by vaporization and/or sustained contact of the eyes and respiratory tract.
Previous attempts to treat the eyes have included bulky and conspicuous goggle units that fully enclose the eye chamber. Bulky goggle units increase the size and weight of the treatment device, making the device less portable. Furthermore, conspicuous goggle units may discourage use of the treatment device in public, thereby effectively limiting its use to only private areas. It may be desirable to make a medical device for the treatment and prevention of eye and respiratory tract conditions that is lighter and less bulky in an effort to improve portability. It may also be desirable to make a medical device for the treatment and prevention of eye and respiratory tract conditions that is less conspicuous, so that recipients of the treatment may use the medical device in public without standing out and may even be able to utilize conventional glasses or other spectacle-like frames for glasses.
Previous attempts to treat the eyes have also included the use of nebulizers to reduce a solution into a fine spray or mist. The spray or mist may be carried by currents of air toward the eye chamber. The use of nebulizers is problematic because nebulizers produce liquid droplets in mist or spray form that are carried by air streams. If liquid droplets are included in the air stream at the time of delivery, visibility of the glasses may be reduced because of excessive liquid and condensation. It may be desirable to make a medical device for the treatment and prevention of eye and respiratory tract conditions that avoids delivery of liquid droplets at the time of release/delivery of the air stream to the eyes or respiratory tract.
It may be desirable to provide a novel therapeutic platform for providing filtration, supplying vapor and/or humidity, and delivering various drug treatments depending upon the treatment protocol or regimen recommended by medical personnel.